Charlie's Lucky Marble

It is a simple child’s toy, that has granted its owner good fortune. Unfortunately things are never quite what they seem, especially when Corvus is involved.

It is a blue glass marble, about one thumb wide. It is scratched but it is perfectly round. It seems to be just another child’s marble.

Charlie found the marble when the workmen were digging the foundation for the new grand city wall. Since Charlie found it, he has been unbeatable at marbles. He has had a number of lucky breaks, finding money, his journeyman father getting better work from this master, his mother feeling better, and a number of little things that have made his life, and the life of many around him, a little brighter.

It is just a toy.

That is where everyone is wrong.

This blue marble was once part of the Grand Staff of the Black Dragon Magi. The Grand Staff was a powerful artifact from ages gone by. It had gone by a number of names until that the time it was used by the Dragon Magi and his dark cult to conquer a good portion of this land, four hundred years ago. They were a blight upon the land, nearly destroying civilization in these parts. The Sagas have it that the Staff was destroyed in the final conflict between the man that they would eventually appoint king (and his heroic Company) and the Black Dragon Magi and his minions.

The blue stone, mounted on a powerful standard magikal staff, had immense powers. It could amplify the skills and abilities of anyone wielding it. The Black Dragon Magi created a small talisman, that every member of the Black Dragon cult wore a copy of, that shared that ability. They were nearly unstoppable.

Originally called the Staff of the Elderly Magi, Corvus, created this item towards the latter part of his natural lifetime. It was what extended his life to the thing of legends. The personality of the staff was that of a helpful young servant girl, Keilly, that Corvus adored and she adorred him. (The young girl died of an accident when he was not around.)

This young lady develops a puppy dog infatuation on who ever owns the staff, especially if they appear to be strong and charismatic, and of course male. She had helped many a mage through her existance after Corvus. With her help, that mage would defined their times. She was effectively seduced by the man history called The Black Dragon Magi (His real name was Garth). She was blind in love, ignoring all the evil things he did. That was, until the very end. Once she pulled her abilities, (in point of fact she worked them in reverse), the Black Dragon Magi was easily defeated by the Heroes. When someone foolishly broke the Staff of the Magi that she was mounted upon, she was thrown far and clear. It was a small voop.

For years she “cried” and felt bad for the things she allowed to happen. She wanted to make ammends, but she was buried quite deeply in some mud. In addition, she would never let anyone know of her powers ever again. Knowing about her powers could inspire a desire for power. The lust for power destroyed her poor Garth. She had been buried for four hundred years, until some workmen accidently undug her. Charlie found her in the dirt and treated her as a wonderous new toy, even without knowing she can speak. Charlie was a nice boy, a good boy, a proper boy in a less than perfect situation. She could fix that. She could make it all up to the world, one good deed at a time.

Magical Properties:

Long ago, the Wizard Corvus, created a vast number of magikal crystal orbs of various sizes, most of which were incorporated into other items. These orbs housed magikally created intelligences with the following powers:
1) The ability to influence and manipulate the minds of those around it to some degree. She will never use this on the person who “owns” her, but will freely use it on those around him.
2) The ability to communicate with any other Orb at any range, if it desires. She is hesitant to do this, as she thinks the Other Orbs might still be mad at her for nearly destroying civilization.
3) The ability to block or diffuse the power of another orb, 100% magik resistance against orb magik. It can sometimes grant that ability to others or use the power at range.
4) She can also appear “not to be important” and not show up on mystical scans.
5) The ability to be nearly unbreakable (they are crystal after all).
6) The Enhancement ability of the Orb adds a 25% increase to all skills, attributes, levels for calculating effects. It provides the character the next level of edge/ gift/ feat or expands their natural ability.
7) It also granted longevity and health to the one that had it.

The items are immortal. Mortals are their playthings, their chess pieces, their hands.

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I really like this item, I like the potential it has for getting unsuspecting characters into interesting situations...

Charlie doesn't know the marble's trying to help him. Suppose he gets into trouble with the city guard for doing something wrong (obviously he's a child, so this couldn't be too severe, maybe shoplifting). The marble might try to protect him by smiting all the guardsmen who are talking to him, landing him in more trouble for assaulting officers...

I like the idea of a personality trapped in an object, especially if it is a powerful magical object. Just think of the havoc a well-intentioned but not particularly bright orb could cause while trying to set right the wrongs of humanity.

More seriously, I would figure there were a few hundred orbs of various powers (The Orb of Humdity Control and the Glow Light of Insect Destruction to name a few lesser ones) and a few other items (Staff of the Magi for the Orb's original home, the fire ring, the rings of servant calling.. etc). Like a dungeon, normally the item was put to a different use originally. It is only when put in a different situation that the orb's power becomes totally apparent. As I figure out a few of the more interesting ones, I will put them out.

I am thinking of using the orbs as the basis for a fantasy world. Figure most Wizards (magik users of great skill... not the class) make one or two items in their lifetime. Corvus the Powerful, Corvus the Wise, Corvus the Mad, choose a title made enough of them that he has changed the face of his world... (especially after the explosion at his tower altered magik on the world since then...)... I guess I better start that thread huh?

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